Button



J. M. CLARK Jul 7, 1931.

BUTTON Filed' July 23, 1929 I I Patented July 7, 1931 I A JOHN M; onanmor DETROIT, MICHIGAN,"ASSIGNORL1TO UNIVERSAL BUrroN rAs'rEN 'me & Borrowed; or DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A oon-ronarrolvor MICHIGAN Burrow I I lppli cationfiled Ju1y 23;

This invention" relates to so-jca'lled flexible 1 buttons and among other objects, aims to provide an irnproved and inexpensive-button of this charac'ter in which security of fastening.

5 isnot sacrificed to obtain flexibility. a

The invention may be readily understood by reference topne illustrative button embodying the invention andfillustrated'inthe accompanying drawings.

. it In said drawings:

Fig. l is a sectionalelevationof the button fastened to fabric or the like.

- F ig.2 is a bottom plan yiew ofthe button,

brought into the illustrated shape by one or more die pressing operations upon a blank or.

7 3b slug cut from the'nod st'ock, llhe button head:

may advantageously beimp-roved jinappear w xance as well; as protected being provided with a superficial coating suchiasnprotec'tive and decorative enamel .or metalj-plating.

55 Such surfacing is 'illustrated' herein in, theform of a separate shelllll of relatively'thin metal which is either itself rustproof or treated superficially to render it rustproofi Such decoration may include. any desired emio bossingor trade-mark on thertop of the but-' ton head, depending upon the desires of the purchaser. The shellll is secured to; the buttofl h deby c pin its ar na fl n e 1'2 funderneath 'Qthe button head which in surface of the crimped flange '12 lies I flush with the under surface of the'head. .7

The shank] 13 of the button being inthis;

e, case an integral part of the button body and,

{ tl1erefore;of solid metal, is made'in a'rnuch reception. x Flexibly connected to theendb hfiShank 6 0" a and the button gives the button the des this case is offset or rabbeted so that the outer,

1 9291 serial a 380290. I I a smaller 5 diameter, or thickness anafiiim gr at r g h t n a ho l w shank, bewamade of 'm'orefexpe'nsive sheet'metal. smaller diameter permits it to be buttoned through button ol pw thoutb ng-the j cloth as frequently lhappe nsfwi th{ bifidfi whose necks or colletsa'rej laifgerflth'an'fth f space in the button"ho1e"pr0vid'ed for t is a on me i t e ormiofjiaif tener receiving'element 14E providedwithfa -l .tenel engaglng mea s "Theloose onn ct on;

between the fastener receiving element 14;

y', m ly, t e cap ci y ti an this case to rotate', relative to the pointofj'at tachn ent .of thebutton. v suchilo'osepQ lrl ecrg tion, isefiectedg in thefpresent 'in'stan i giving the element '14 a'cup'shapewhioh ables it to embrace the enlarged extremity-1' 5 f h utt n, ank-"t Th6-.' qi 1f the m S1T PB rtu nedinsuificifehfly 'to prevent theextremity'lf fromjbeing with-j drawn but" does notxembrace the latter so t y as connection. 7 V I ,o shown, the" button is attached by-1a pronged'fastene'r .upset within the button base Mfwhich draws the base tightly against 8b to destroy thej 'aforesa idflexible the intervening cloth. If I a doublepronge d',

fastener 19,.suclr as that hereshow mjise v ployed, the button baseisprovided 'Withja; 7 pair of openings and an {interveningj transg versebar 17 which in the presentcase i'sad-L 5 1 vantageously formed integral with the base y p ch gia p f i pe i gsin' h b 'sei seeEig 2) andthe prongs 18 of' thefas-"j tener are bent around the bar frornppposite sides. If a single prong fastenervbe' jenjig j ployed the buttonl base-is preferably formed with a single opening only slightly if'fat all,

larger i sizefilld Shep?.fiha fthcfas ener, prong, By eitherjmeans'fof"attachment lthef cloth 21; is firmly gripped betweenthefhjead of the fastener and the .button'base, both of which are adequate insize togrip a substan-' tial .are a'of cloth and avoid concentration of strain on the portion 22 ofthe cloth' whichis- V immediately 'ace'nt 'the attaching; prong." v

For the purpose of readily upsetting the fastener inside the button base, the button shank 13 is advantageously provided with a concave surface or die cup 20 which serves to 11 set the fastener tightly against. the button ase. The operation of forming the die cup may be advantageously used to form the enlarged extremity 15 of the button shank, i. e., some of the metal displaced to form the die cup, is utilized to create the enlargement 15.

The button base 14 being of substantially larger diameter than that of the shank 13 prevents a suspender loop or other element engaging the button from wedging between the button base and the fabric to which the button is attached,.with the possibility of loosening the button and tearing the cloth. That is, the part engaging the button is held away from the base ofthe button by the element 14 and located in the seat on the button shank of much smaller diameter (provided between the button base and the button head).

The illustrative button is not only an inexpensive button since it is made of but two relatively inexpensive elements (not including the optional decorative or protective finish for the button head) but its construction is such as to lend itself well to economic manufacture, requiring little or no handling. For example, the button body 10 may be formed in a series of operations which involve no manual handling, and, without in tervening manual handling; then the base member 14 (formed by a simple punching and pressing operation) may be easily attached. While the button is advantageously adapted to be formed economically in the aforesaid or a similar manner, its manufacture is obviously not limited to full, automatic manufacture or to manufacture according to any definite sequence of operation.

The button is further constructed and arranged for use with button attaching machines now on the market which, if the button be designed for attachment by a double pronged fastener, orient the button attachiiig bar, that is, the bar 17 in this case, relative to the attaching fastener prongs,so that when the attaching dies are brought together the fastener prongs will pass on opposite sides of the bar 17. Such orienting operation is effected by the rotation of the button bar until it arrives at a predetermined position relative to the fastener prongs. During such orienting operation the extremity of the button shank lies flat against the bottom of the button base (the button being fed head up) so that it may be oriented and attached like an ordinary nonflexible button.

The illustrative button, therefore, conibines flexibility with the security and eliiciency of attachment aiforded by the double pronged fastener, without requiring the use of a special attaching machine.

Obviously the invention is not limited to the details of the illustrative button since these may be variously modified.

Having described one embodiment of my invention, I claim:

1. A flexible button comprising in combination a button head, a solid button shank integral with said head, and a cup shaped fas-.

tener receiving member loosely embracing the lower end of said shank to provide a flexible connection for said button head, said fastener receiving member being provided with means for receiving a button fastener.

2. A flexible button comprising in combination a button head, a button shank, and a fastener receiving member flexibly secured to said shank, said fastener receiving means being constructed. and arranged to receive a two pronged fastener and having a bar around which the prongs of the fastener may pass, the end of said shank being provided with an integral die having a concave surface for bending the fastener prongs about said bar.

3. A flexible button comprising in combination a button head, a solid button shank, and a fastener receiving member flexibly secured to said shank and having means for receiving a pronged fastener, the endof said shank being recessed to provide a curved die surface to upset the fastener after it has entered the fastener receiving member.

4. A flexible button comprising in combination a button head, a button shank, and a cup shaped fastener receiving member loosely surrounding and embracing the lower end of said shank to provide a flexible connection for said button head, the end of said shank being recessed to provide means for upsetting the fastener inside said receiving member.

5. A flexible button comprising in combination a button head, a shank therefor having its lower end enlarged, and a cup shaped fastener receiving member loosely surrounding and embracing said enlarged end to provide a flexible connection for said button, said fastener receiving member having a bar about which the prongs of a double pronged fastener may be secured.

6. A flexible button comprising in combination a button head, a shank therefor having its lower end enlarged, and a cup shaped fastener receiving member loosely embracing said enlarged end. to provide a flexible connection for said button, and being constructed and arranged to be engaged by a pronged fastener, the end of said shank being recessed to provide a die for upsetting the pronged fastener inside said receiving member.

7. A flexible button comprising in combination a button head, a shank therefor having its lower end enlarged, and a cup shaped JOHN M. CLARK. 

